GREAT FALLS — Lower St. Mary Lake in Glacier County will be closed to all public boats and watercraft from Thursday, August 19, through Friday, August 27.
The lake is between the communities of Babb to the north and St. Mary to the south.
The closure is so that Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services can conduct a thorough search of the lake, according to a news release. BLES said the closure is to ensure the safety of a water recovery team.
In addition to the lake closure, the Chewing Black Bones boat dock on the northeast side of the lake will be closed to the public on August 26 and August 27.
Although not specifically stated in the news release, the closure is likely related to the ongoing search for Leo Wagner.
Wagner is 5 feet 8 inches tall, 165 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. He was last seen on April 27th at around 6:35 p.m. near West Shore Road outside of St. Mary, and was wearing blue jeans, a white undershirt, and a blue plaid short-sleeve button-up shirt.
The lake was also closed for several days in June as law enforcement continued the search.
The search for Wagner has included several agencies, including the Cascade County Sheriff's Office, which in June sent a search team to assist by using side-scan sonar in the lake.
The Blackfeet Tribal Business Council in late July announced a $10,000 reward for information leading to the location of Wagner.
If you have any information about Wagner, you are asked to call Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services at 406-338-4000.
